A Maldon woman aged in her 80s has been left distraught and angry after fraudsters posing as a bank official and police officer conned her out of her £14,000 life savings.

Sadly, she only realised she had fallen victim after reading last week’s Maldon and Burnham Standard story about how the con artists were targeting people in Maldon and Burnham.

She was called last Tuesday by someone claiming to be from her bank, saying police had been in contact to say there was a problem with her bank account.

She was then asked to call 999 and ask for Det Con Bailey at Charing Cross police station, who turned out be another fraudster.

He persuaded her to withdraw her money for forensic fingerprinting tests.

The pensioner said: “At the time I had no idea that it was a fraud.
 

“I think the people at the bank were suspicious when I went to take out the money and the cashier asked me to the manager.
 

“They asked me if I was being coerced into taking out the money. But at the time I did not think I was.

* Full story in today's Standard.